Stories of Fate
by sakurademonalchemist
Summary: A series or random FSN drabbles that wouldn't fit anywhere else. Will usually be crossed over with random animes or stories.
1. The Fourth Gorgon Chapter One

"So this is Fuyuki. It looks different compared to what I've heard."

The voice belonged to a young man of indeterminate age. One could put him easily at his late teens or early twenties, but even he couldn't tell you how old he really was.

He had long purple-colored hair that despite many claims was entirely natural. His eyes were like amethysts, and had a bit of a cat-like shape to them. He had a runner's body, one that seemed perfectly built for the most amazing gymnastics. He carried himself loosely, as if ready to bolt at a moment's notice.

He wore a dark tank top and black jeans. On his shoulder was a small creature with white fur and red eyes. On the other was a duffel bag full of the necessities like clothes and his wallet.

He already had a place set up near a mansion most people wouldn't even want to look at, let alone go near. It was just that creepy.

The neighbors fully believed it to be haunted.

Fuyuki had seemed ordinary enough, and he liked being around water. Spend a lot of time on a coastal town and it's sometimes hard to make a transition inland. Besides, it would be interesting to see what he could find in the river. He heard that there was a huge explosion a few years ago and not everything had been collected by the salvage companies.

The boat took it's sweet time docking, but he wasn't in any real hurry.

He waltzed off the boat, not really paying any attention.

His first stop was to the house, to make sure everything was set up. Selling some of the ancient Greek artifacts he had stolen off the original creators had netted him quite the nest egg, and they couldn't exactly complain when they were long dead.

Being an immortal sure had it's perks. The only real downside he had with it was the boredom. When you are sure to live forever, it was hard to find things that would keep your interest. The longest he had lasted so far was four hundred years, and he didn't exactly have a choice in the matter.

"Well Wiz, this is our new home. What do you think?"

The furry creature on his shoulder (which resembled a lop-earred rabbit for some reason) sniffed around. It wanted food. Now.

He chuckled.

"Yeah, I know what you mean buddy. First let me lock down the house then we'll go get something to eat."

It took him an hour to set up the house so no one could get in, and he stashed his duffel bag someplace no one would look. Call him paranoid, but he just didn't want to replace some of the things inside the bag.

* * *

><p>Sakura Matou was a sad girl. Her 'brother' hated her because of the fact she was the heir and not him, her 'grandfather' outright abused and violated her with disgusting things, and her sister couldn't stand to be in the same room with her.<p>

The only joy she had in her life was spending time with her sempai, Shiro Emiya.

She went to the check out counter and ended up bumping into someone.

"Sorry about that. I wasn't looking where I was going," said a voice. Whoever it was sounded nice.

Sakura looked up and stared. The person before her had the most amazing purple eyes that held only warmth. He leaned down to pick up a box she had dropped and held it out to her.

"Hi. My name's Drake, what's yours?"

"Sakura."

"Pretty name for a pretty girl."

Sakura blushed. No one had ever called her pretty before.

"Maybe I'll see you around town. I just moved here, so I still have to get settled in," said Drake.

Sakura said nothing. What could she say?

Drake finished his shopping and headed to the bookstore. Sakura would replay their meeting in her head afterwords, and was privately glad she hadn't made a total fool of herself.

* * *

><p>"Welcome students...to Greek Mythos 101," said the professor.<p>

Because of his looks, there was no way he could disguise himself as a high school student. Besides, he had enough of teenaged angst for one lifetime thank you. So he enrolled at a nearby college instead.

He mostly picked easy courses, since he had no real interest in a career. He was a good thief after all.

But the second he saw Greek mythology on the list of available classes, he selected it without a second thought. He could always have fun poking at the 'gods' in his papers after all, since it would be virtually impossible to get actual revenge on them.

"Now today I want to find out what you think you know about Greek Mythology, so we're going to have a little pop quiz. Isn't that fun?" asked the professor.

Most of the people groaned, but Drake smirked evilly. This should prove entertaining.

Fifteen minutes later the teacher was reading over the papers. Most of them were only half filled, not surprising considering this was a Japanese college, but one caught his attention rather quickly.

"Mr. Niwa, a word please?" he asked.

Drake went up to the desk.

"Sir?"

"When I asked you to write what you know about the Greek gods, I wasn't asking for you to express your personal opinion based on half-known facts," said the teacher.

"I wasn't basing them on half-baked facts sir," said Drake. He was basing the entire thing on personal experience.

"Care to explain why you wrote, and I'm quoting you on this, Zeus as a 'serial rapist', Aphrodite as a 'loose-legged whore', Athena as an 'uptight bitch', Artemis a 'total tomboy', and Hera as a 'scorned wife'?" he asked.

Drake heard quite a few people snicker.

"I was only being blunt. Sir."

"If that's the case then please, share with the class why you chose these answers?" said the professor smugly.

Drake rolled his eyes.

"Because Zeus is well known in the Greek pantheon for not being able to keep it in his pants. He raped several women and impregnated countless others. He used shapeshifting just to avoid his rather angry wife Hera, though why she didn't just castrate him as a lesson I'll never understand. Aphrodite was married to Hephaestus, but she was caught repeatedly by others engaging in illicit acts, and in one memorable case was captured by her husband in an enchanted net in bed with Ares. Athena is an uptight bitch because she chose to punish Medusa for being raped by Poseidon, despite the fact it wasn't her fault that the god chased her into the temple. She also couldn't take a joke, because she punished Arachne for her tapestry subject, which was the many affairs of Zeus himself. Artemis was well known for preferring the company of animals and other maidens, and spent hours hunting, which is pretty much the definition of a tomboy. As for Hera, she fits the text book definition of a scorned woman, and since she couldn't take it out on her husband, she took it out on his children instead," explained Drake.

Everyone was looking at him like he had a second head.

"I see you know your mythology, which begs the question as to why you chose this class," said the professor finally.

"Easy A," said Drake automatically.

"Well I suppose that means only one thing. I've found my TA for the year," said the teacher with an evil smirk.

"Do I get paid?"

"No, but you get an automatic A and you have to help me grade the papers."

"... I should have just half-assed that test..." muttered Drake. He _hated_ paperwork.

The teacher had an evil grin on his face. He would have fun breaking this kid of his arrogant personality.

* * *

><p>Drake was about to crash into the bed when he felt magic. Active magic at that.<p>

"What the hell?" he said. He suddenly winced as something attached itself to his left hand and blood flowed freely. When it finally stopped, he looked down to find a strange pattern on his left hand in the color of blood.

Drake paled when he reached through the mark to find out what was on the other end. Whatever had attached itself to his fake body was foul. Almost as bad as what he encountered the night he returned to his sisters after _she_ had warned him about her whore of a sister plotting to turn them against him.

He still remembered the bloody atmosphere, the crazed eyes that turned man and beast to stone, bypassing him only because of shared blood. Those once beautiful lavender-colored eyes turning a horrifying blood red as his two older sisters were devoured in a haze of madness. Coming face-to-face with the orchestrator of his sister's insanity and being locked away until he managed to escape with the help of his jailor.

He remembered that night every time he saw a full moon, and he hated it.

Drake saw the girl again. The one who reminded him painfully of his oblivious older sister. The other one had tried to keep them in line, but the only one who ever helped her was the youngest of the four.

It was a twisted sort of cruelty on the part of the bitch who ruined his life and the lives of his small family that people always remembered the youngest and her descent into madness and never him.

If he ever saw her again, he wouldn't hesitate to kill her, goddess or not.

* * *

><p>That girl was always so sad, and the one time he followed her back he found that she lived pretty much next door to the house he had bought. He heard rumors about that family, none of them good, and he found it hard to believe that she was even related to them. She was just too nice.<p>

Sakura greeted him warmly, and he half-flirted with her to cheer her up. Something about her reminded him of his mortal sister. He noticed she gave the mark on his hand a surprised look, but didn't say a word about it. However the second time he saw her he noticed she slipped something into his grocery bag when she thought he wasn't looking.

He was a thief, so he saw it. She was decent at slight of hand, but he was much better.

When he got home he found a ritual written on a piece of paper, along with a circle to go with it. He had the sneaking suspicion it had something to do with the marking on his hand.

Still, he was curious as to what the circle was for...and why he had felt a spark of powerful magic come from the mansion two days ago.

Drake completed the circle and even used the incantation. He was actually curious as to what would happen. Some rituals simply didn't mesh with immortals, though the fact he had been marked by one he couldn't recognize offhand might make him the exception.

He could feel whatever the hell had marked him take an interest in his soul, and something yanked on his magic. He could feel something start to take form, but there was a presence in the figure that felt too familiar and not in a good way. The moment his eyes lay on _that _man's face, Drake did something that would have been expected considering the circumstances.

His head turned serpentine and his fangs descended on the bastard who killed his younger sister for that uptight bitch Athena. Perseus, who had been brought into the Grail War as Lancer, didn't have a chance to react as Drake killed him in revenge for what he had done to his sister.

* * *

><p><em>(In Einzbern Castle)<em>

Illya frowned. She had felt Lancer about to be summoned, but then his presence vanished before it was properly manifested. Which meant someone had been qualified as Master but now had an open spot for their Servant. And the position for Lancer was now an open spot. This could be problematic.

* * *

><p>Drake decided to stay in today. He was not in a good mood, despite the fact he had killed that jerk Perseus. On the plus side, the mark on his hand finally stopped bleeding. Though it was still connected to whatever the hell was on the other side of it.<p>

However, he was curious as to what that was about.

Sakura looked at Drake, and noticed that while he had his Command Seals, they didn't appear to be active. She could only assume he had yet to summon his Servant.

She didn't want Shinji to find out he was a Master too...her 'brother' would kill Drake before he had a chance to summon a Servant to protect him and Zouken would allow it!

The only reason Drake still lived was because Zouken sensed something unusual about him, something that piqued his curiosity.

"What's the matter, Hime-chan?" asked Drake. Sakura blushed.

Drake seemed to have found an unusual nickname for her. She had never been called 'princess' before, and she rather liked the way he treated her.

"It's nothing," she said.

As Drake escorted her to the gates, he paused. There was no way he was sensing that. He had destroyed any traces of that damn barrier when his sister had died.

So why was he sensing Blood Fort Andromeda here?


	2. Master of Alchemist Chapter One

Illyasviel von Einzbern, the next Master of the Grail War and the container for the lesser Grail, thought that the day would be like any other.

Then she saw the strange formation in the clouds and the sudden activity of the castle homuculi. Something was happening.

She watched fascinated as two figures fell from the strange occurrence. One was about sixteen, possibly older, with what appeared to be metal limbs. He had clearly seen battle, as his clothes were torn and bloodied. His long blond hair was held back in a plaited fashion, one that kept it mostly out of his face.

The other was about a year younger, if she was any guess, and had light brown hair. He was clearly related to the first, though he had a more innocent air about him.

About the only reason they weren't killed once the occurrence ended was because of the symbol on the blond's coat. One any true alchemist would recognize.

The Flamel Crest.

Anyone brazen enough to wear that symbol had to either be very skilled indeed, or very stupid.

Either way, they perked her grandfather's curiosity.

* * *

><p>Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist, was in pain.<p>

To understand this statement, one must understand what Ed had gone through so early in life.

He lost his mother. He tried to bring her back with the help of his younger brother who was all for it. He failed, bringing forth a homunculus with her face. Lost his brother's body in the experiment and brought him back into a suit of armor bond only by a single seal made of his own blood. Went through automail surgery and managed to get used to the limbs in a year, three times faster than normal. He joined the military at _twelve_ and proceeded to gain a reputation as one of the few state alchemists who still gave a damn about the common man. And he had learned the cold hard truth how to create a Philosopher's Stone, widely regarded as the ultimate in alchemical amplifiers.

So to say he had a very hard and difficult life would be an understatement. He knew pain. He knew it more intimately than most teens his age.

Right now though, he felt pain beyond what he had ever experienced before, and he was not happy. The only reason he didn't complain was because he could see his brother, in the flesh, in the bed next to his. Alphonse, thankfully, was not in as much agony as his older brother.

So if he chose not to get up, no one would blame him.

He still had no idea where the hell that rainbow of light had come from though.

However, his rest would not last for long as the strange women with red eyes and pale white hair came in and noticed he was awake.

Thus the Fullmetal Alchemist had the dubious honor of being introduced to one of the scariest people he could possibly meet in this situation.

Jubstacheit von Einzbern, head of the Einzbern family.

Ed immediately knew he was not a man he wanted to try and bluff his way around. This man could crush him in his weakened state, and he had no idea if his alchemy was even up to working. Not to mention he had Alphonse still in the room.

"I find it interesting that a youth such as yourself would fall onto the estate bearing that crest," he said evenly.

Ed blinked. While the man had an accent, it was one he just barely recognized. There was one issue he could avoid.

"Which crest?" he asked, not understanding what the man was referring to. Sure he had that symbol on his coat, but it was from the same man who originally discovered the stone. He had hoped wearing it would bring him better luck in finding the thing...plus the coat had been in his dad's study before they torched the place. He had grabbed it out of convenience.

"Don't play me boy. Only an alchemist would dare were the personal crest of Flamel," said Jubstacheit.

Ed's eyebrows shot up. He wasn't aware it was a personal crest.

"State your name boy. My patience wears thin," said the man.

"Edward Elric. Fullmetal Alchemist," Ed said finally. Not like it meant much in this world.

"Elric? Impossible. That line died out with the death of Hohenhiem, despite his efforts to try and use a homunculus made from his son to continue it," scoffed the man.

"Don't talk to me about my bastard of a father," snarled Edward.

His father had always been a touchy subject for Ed. He had always blamed him for their mother's death, but when it was confirmed that Hohenhiem had caused her to die from a wasting disease because he had been afraid to die... Ed wasn't going to shed any tears for him.

Jubstacheit raised an eyebrow. He had heard rumors that Hohenhiem of Light had two sons in another world, having gone there by using a favor from the Kaleidoscope, but he had always assumed they were just that. Rumors.

"Until I find out who you are, you are not to leave this castle. If you try, I will have your companion killed," he said coldly.

"Fine by me. Maybe you can figure out what the hell that rainbow that sucked us out of the car was," said Edward flippantly.

He was tired, sore, and in no mood to deal with power plays. He needed solid food and some good old fashioned sleep before he was ready to deal with this bullshit.

He was lead back to the cell, with no illusions of what was happening. They were prisoners in the castle until they found out what the hell was going on and how they had gotten that deep into the man's territory without setting any alarms off. He would consider himself lucky if they bothered to feed them, to be honest.

* * *

><p>It had taken a long, long month of searching, but eventually Jubstacheit's spies found the lost journals of the former head of Atlas. Hohenhiem of Light had been a very private person, and getting the journals had been a bigger pain than retrieving Avalon several years prior.<p>

Still, it was worth it to have some of the brat's claims confirmed.

Hohenhiem had two sons, Edward and Alphonse. Both born in the other world, only one had managed to make it to this one through the Root. What the Alchemists on the other side called the Gate of Truth. Edward's alternate had been killed during a raid, but he had found his way back despite that.

The second time he came here, he had been stuck until he recreated a ritual circle and opened the Kaleidoscope by mistake.

The picture was almost identical to the brat who had stared at him so defiantly, aside from the fact that the limbs were of much better make. The issue being that the picture in question was from nearly sixty years ago and the two were clearly in their teens.

Still, there was one way to prove that this was in fact the same Edward Elric who had actually seen the Root firsthand, even if he barely remembered anything of it.

Hohenhiem spoke of alchemy without circles, just prana and thought.

So Edward, who had been rather docile aside from his refusal of milk or anything to do with needles, was brought before him again.

If he was the same Edward Elric spoken in the journals, he would still have the power of alchemy without any need for preparation or grandstanding.

The boy seemed unimpressed by the demand. In fact he almost looked like he expected it.

With a loud clap of his hands, he deftly rearranged the floor into some grotesque parody of a statue, one that moved under his guidance.

Jubstacheit had seen enough. There was no way he would let such a valuable asset slip through his grasp, even if he had a very good idea _how_ the Elric brothers had practically landed on his lap.

Damn Zelretch and his games.

* * *

><p>Illya was curious. Her grandfather had decided to spare the two intruders who had been stuck in a cell for over a month (and she had giggled hearing some of the taller one's outbursts whenever someone insinuated even remotely that he was short) and allow them to roam the castle...within reason.<p>

She had frowned at his reaction upon learning that the ability to coin homunculi was commonplace in the family. So she decided to investigate this newcomer herself...and possibly express her displeasure at his distaste for the art if he annoyed her.

Jubstacheit could care less if she went to visit the Elric brothers. So long as the two didn't level the castle or accidentally kill each other, he had no interest.

* * *

><p>Alphonse looked up from the alchemy book that the castle's servants had allowed him to read to see a girl about eleven or ten. She looked like the servants, but her clothing said otherwise.<p>

Ed was so deep into the history of the Atlas organization that he didn't even notice her.

"Hello?" said Al uncertainly.

"Hello," she replied with a curtsey. Alphonse took a long look at her and immediately knew she wasn't like the castle's servants. She was too noble for that, and her demeanor spoke of one of the family.

"What's your name? I'm Alphonse and this is my brother Edward," he asked, nodding to his brother. Ed didn't even look up.

"I am Illyasviel von Einzbern," she replied.

There was something about her that bothered Al, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

"Done," said Edward, closing the book. He was a fast reader when bored, but when it was something this interesting he was even faster.

Illya's eyes immediately went to his. Crimson red and golden amber clashed before Illya blinked.

"So what do you think of my home?" she asked sweetly. Ed's instincts warned him to tread carefully, as he knew she was a real and very dangerous threat.

"Interesting. Then again we've never stayed in one place this long before," said Edward evenly.

"It is, isn't it?" said Illya with a purr. "I heard that you two don't like homunculi much."

Edward reached for the next volume.

"It's not so much that we dislike them, it's more along the lines that we've been fighting others who called themselves by that term who were monsters incarnate," said Edward.

Illya's eyes sparked with interest.

"I think it's more wariness than anything. After all, the ones here seem to be easier to get along with while the others were mistakes," added Alphonse, considering that.

"Mistakes?" said Illya.

"Homunculi back home were the result of idiots trying to transmute humans. If they were lucky, they lived to tell the tale and the thing didn't survive. If they were unlucky, they lived long enough for those mistakes to kill them personally before they found out how easy it was to manipulate humans to do their dirty work," said Ed with a scowl.

The amount of blood spilled all so they could get a stone and please their 'Father'... it made him sick to even remember it. He was glad that the last of them was gone and all the circles on the subject destroyed.

Ed was the only one who knew how to create a Stone here, and he intended to keep it that way.

Illya observed the two brothers.

"What would you say if you knew I was the daughter of a homunculus?" she asked calmly. Almost like one discussing the weather.

"I would say that explains why you set all my danger senses on overdrive. And then ask why I should care who your parents were," replied Ed.

"Hmph!" said Illya in irritation.

She had hoped to find out what his problem with homunculi were so she could crush him. But Edward had a legitimate reason for his dislike. He just turned it into apathy until the castle servants proved a threat to him or his brother.

* * *

><p>Edward and Alphonse found themselves in a unique position. Because the Magus Association and Atlas had no idea of their existence, let alone the fact that Edward was by all rights a master of one of the few remaining True Magics, they were relatively safe.<p>

That position could change the moment Jubstacheit decided they weren't worth the trouble of keeping alive.

Fortunately Ed knew when to keep his mouth shut and his temper in check.

And upon learning that Edward wasn't adverse to sharing the alchemy of his world in exchange for access to the 'public' parts of the Einzbern library, they quickly dove into the books with fervor. Though there was some issue with the fact Edward and Alphonse couldn't read English.

Illya found herself in the rather odd position of teaching them. It was made easier by the fact Ed and Al could speak German well enough, mostly because they had never had to deal with language barriers before.

Still, being around Ed set her teeth on edge.

He was just so frustrating to be around!

Had she paid attention to the talk of the amused castle Homunculi, she would have learned about the fact that they found her budding crush on a certain blond alchemist adorable. Illyasviel was like a blizzard, cold and deadly to the touch. Edward was like a raging inferno, quick to ignite and just as quick to burn anyone who angered him.

By all rights they shouldn't be able to stand each other at all.

Thank the Root for Alphonse, the only one able to get their irritation towards each other to remain at a simmer. Otherwise the castle would have been destroyed months ago.


	3. The Fourth Gorgon Chapter Two

Drake went back to the school after hours, though he had to avoid being seen by the girl on the roof. He didn't know who she was and frankly he didn't care. All he knew was that he had to destroy the barrier around the school before it was properly activated.

Once the girl was fully distracted by the blue guy with the red lance, Drake went to work. He chanted in Ancient Greek, his native tongue. As his spell reached a crescendo and his power was at it's peak, he did the one thing he wished he could have done the first time.

Drake raised one hand to the sky, his true wings taking form behind him drawing in power from the leyline that ran through the area.

"_DRAGON BREAKER!"_

There was an absolutely massive thunderclap that shattered every window for half a mile. At the same time, the sigils that made up Blood Fort Andromeda exploded, resulting in massive damage.

The girl and the two men down below had fallen to the ground to take cover. All three...wait, make that four. Drake spotted a kid with red hair staring at the school in shock. The four people below were looking at the school bewildered as to where the thunder had come from when there wasn't a single cloud in the sky.

Feeling impish, Drake grinned and shifted from his human disguise. Thanks to the fact it was a moonless night, he would be veritably invisible because of how dark his scales were.

Drake roared as he took off. Seeing the shocked faces below, he chuckled inwardly.

No matter what age it was, shocking uptight Magi was always hilarious.

* * *

><p>"What the hell was that?!" shrieked Rin.<p>

Archer had no answer. He didn't remember a _dragon_ being in Fuyuki.

"Archer, what the hell _was that_?" she demanded again.

"A dragon," he said equally stunned. What he didn't get was why it had attacked the school.

"I thought the dragons had died out?" said Lancer equally confused.

They were so stunned by the appearance of the dragon that none of them really noticed the fact they had been watched by a fourth person. Archer was surprised that Shiro had managed to make an escape from the school...then again seeing a _dragon_ this day and age was distracting enough!

* * *

><p>Rider looked up from her book.<p>

"What's wrong?" demanded Shinji.

"My barrier. It was destroyed."

"How?"

"I don't know. One minute the Fort was there, the next it was completely destroyed."

What Medusa neglected to add was that she felt the power of the one who did it. The thing was that as far as she was aware, he was dead. So why did she feel his presence now of all times?

Shinji looked _pissed_. Someone had destroyed his best means of maintaining his servant!

Suddenly the lone phone in the house rang. Sakura answered it.

From her tone it was clear it was Emiya.

"Hai. Sempai, what do you mean school might be closed tomorrow?"

Sakura blinked when Shiro told her what happened at the school.

"A crash of thunder blew out every window for half a mile from the school? Exactly how long ago was it?"

Medusa looked at Sakura questioningly. From the sound of the other voice, this happened roughly at the same time her bounded field was destroyed. Then she caught something that had her heart stop.

A dragon. A _black_ dragon.

Rider sensed something pass over the other bounded field she had placed over her area and went to the window.

She removed her Breaker Gorgon and looked.

There, flying under the cover of darkness, was a black shape. It was as bigger than a plane and had gleaming silver talons. The wings were massive, but they would need to be to hold up that shape. But it was the eyes that made her almost gasp.

Amethyst colored eyes gleamed in the starlight.

If there was one thing that Medusa had given up on, it was hope. After what Athena did to her, she had thought Draco had been killed by Aphrodite because he refused her. So how did he survive?

Sakura finished by asking if she could bring a friend over with her to breakfast the next morning. Shiro said he had no issues with it, so long as the person didn't mind fighting Taiga over the food.

* * *

><p>"Hime-chan? Breakfast? Sounds a sight better than what I usually have planned. 6:30 good?" said Drake, writing down a memo. He usually slept in, but the prospect of not having to buy breakfast before class sounded very appealing.<p>

Behind him there was a snort. Drake didn't bother to turn around, already knowing who it was.

"Mooching off the girls now Drake?" asked the voice when he hung up.

"Come off it Krad. You should be glad I let you stay after I reconnected with my full powers again," said Drake without any malice.

He had been alone for countless centuries, so if he had to chose between his bitchy other half and being complete, he would take the bitchy 'light' half. Which in reality now contained his dragon side.

Krad, who was considered the 'good' half of Dark, snorted. He knew he was incredibly lucky Drake preferred having his voice added to his own, otherwise the second Dark reconnected with the mirror that accidentally split him into two he would have disappeared forever.

Usually he slept all day, but since Drake had used his 'monster' form tonight he was wide awake.

"You know...from what I saw earlier you could be mistaken for a Servant," said Drake, standing up.

"What are you thinking?" asked Krad warily.

"Well since I did just kill my 'Servant' before he could actually be summoned, why not take his place? That way anything I do will be pinned on you," said Drake grinning.

"If I do this, do I get to walk around without having you nearby?"

"Walk around, do whatever, all you have to do is play Servant until I snag my own. I always knew her dagger would come in handy eventually," said Drake happily.

Medea's dagger, Rule Breaker. Drake had taken it off her corpse shortly before he was confined to Hades' realm. He had centuries to gain it's allegiance. He rarely had the chance to use it, but whenever he did it worked like a charm.

Unfortunately he never had the chance to use it when he first felt that art piece latch onto his soul.

Good thing he still remembered the bare bones of what to say to latch his 'Command Seals' onto another Servant once he broke their contract with their current Master.

* * *

><p>Drake paused by the Matou mansion. Say what you would, but that place gave him a bad feeling. Sakura came out a few minutes later with her bag and school outfit.<p>

Drake grinned under his hat, and held out his arm. Sakura blushed.

"Lead on, Hime-chan," he said.

Drake took one look at the house Sakura went and noticed a bounded field. Whoever made it knew what they were doing, but it was little more than an alarm system. From how Sakura reacted, she either didn't notice...or she was deliberately ignoring it.

That wasn't the only thing that bugged Drake. The moment he went into the house he was hit full on with the scent of a female dragon. She wasn't in heat thankfully, but the mere fact that one was inside sent his senses into overdrive.

He knew who it was when he saw the female sitting calmly at the table. There were very few female dragons that also smelled of Faeries. And only _one_ that also had the feel of holy energy.

Arturia Pendragon.

Arturia looked up when she sensed him, and he saw emerald green eyes with a piercing gaze. He raised his hands slightly to show he wasn't there for a fight, and she relaxed.

But the mere fact was that she knew he was dangerous.

Drake was happy with his breakfast, and found Taiga hilarious. Shiro was amazed at how easily Drake kept Taiga calm by flirting with her.

"Mou... I can't believe we have to clean up all that glass," said Taiga with a whine.

"Glass?" asked Sakura.

"Somehow all the windows around the school were blown out, and there was a lot of damage in the school. Like a bomb went off. School's been canceled until we find out how bad the damage was and if the place is still structurally safe," said Taiga.

Drake had an epiphany.

"Well maybe I can talk the professor into letting Emiya-kun, Saber-san and Hime-chan join me for class," said Drake. Seeing their looks he grinned "I happen to TA for a Greek Mythology class, and the professor was horrified to learn that I know more about it than he does."

"Why would a teacher be horrified to learn his student knows about his subject better than him?" asked Arturia confused.

"Probably because he thought I was a cocky bastard and wanted to put me in my place, but I couldn't be sure. Either way I no longer have to grade papers," said Drake.

Boy had that pissed the guy off. Finding out Drake knew more about the Greeks than he did, and even had authentic Ancient Greek pieces. In exchange for a few of the smaller ones, the guy got off his case.

Taiga beamed at him.

"Visiting a college would be good for you two! Give you and idea of what to expect once you graduate... plus it keeps you safe from all the weird things happening lately," said Taiga.

"I can call him right now and we can all go visit. I'm not due to show up until eight though," said Drake.

* * *

><p>Arturia was waiting in the dojo while Shiro and Sakura made lunch for later. With their plans for the day set, they were rather looking forward to seeing the college later. The fact Saber was allowed to come set the blond at ease.<p>

Drake wandered in, since everyone else was preoccupied.

"So... Arturia Pendragon. Wasn't expecting to see you here," said Drake calmly.

She tensed, but acknowledged he knew of her.

"Which Servant are you?"

Drake grinned evilly, before he held up a hand. She gaped.

"Impossible. You're a _Master_?"

"Whatever you guys are fighting over marked me. Sakura gave me the ritual, but there's no way I was dealing with my sister's killer as a Servant. Probably why that other lance guy was summoned."

"What is your true name?" asked Arturia.

"I have gone by many names over the years. Drake, Dark... but originally my name was simply Draco. And I know you won't find any legends of me, considering that witch erased my existence from the old tales. Her final revenge after she convinced her 'smart' sister to drive my younger sibling insane."

Arturia put two and two together.

"Your from the Age of the Gods."

"Yup. Though I have no love for the Greeks after what they pulled."

"Do you seek the Grail as well?"

"Have you felt how foul that thing is? I want nothing to do with whatever that Grail thing is!"

Arturia didn't know how to respond to that, so she decided to ask something else that had been bothering her.

"Were you the one to attack the school?"

"I wasn't attacking the school. I was destroying a bounded field around it. The last time I encountered that field, my sister was turned into an insane monster who devoured the other two. I have no idea whether they survived, but I'm not particularly eager to return to that island."

Arturia put the little pieces together, and her eyebrows shot up in shock.

"You're a Gorgon," she said accusingly.

"Smart one, aren't you? I'm the brother that was erased from the tales by Aphrodite because I refused her advances. Artemis was a better conversationalist than she was anyway," said Drake. He glanced at the clock. "We better get ready to leave. I make it a point not to be late for my classes."

"I didn't know you had a car Drake-san," said Sakura impressed. She was sitting in the front while Shiro and Saber took up the back seat.

"Considering the college is five miles from the house and my professor used to find it hilarious to dump the midterms on me, it was easier getting a car and having it parked within walking distance."

It was actually parked in a guarded lot a mile from his house. The car was used, and the upkeep was relatively cheap. The only issue was that the engine sometimes made weird noises and Drake had absolutely no clue about cars.

Shiro paused once Drake parked in his assigned spot.

"Um, Drake-san? Is your car supposed to sound like that?"

"I have no idea. I normally don't even use a car, but it was easier to buy a used one and the previous owner said that it had been checked by his mechanic. Though he did warn me about driving it long distances," admitted Drake.

"I could take a look at it, see what's wrong with it," offered Shiro.

Drake looked relieved.

"I can pay for the parts and labor. I really, really didn't want to look for a mechanic when I don't know the first thing about cars," he said.

He liked this kid, he really did.


	4. Master of Alchemist Chapter Two

Illyasviel fumed.

She had just suffered yet another hour of that insufferable blond's complaints about how impossible having so many different languages was. If it wasn't for Alphonse calming his brother down, she would have strangled him within the first five minutes.

Still, when he wasn't being a pain in the ass, there was something she liked about Edward.

He didn't complain about how unfair life was, he just got up and moved on. As he said repeatedly, there was no point living life with one foot in the past. He never spoke one word against her mother or the castle homunculi, aside from giving them a respectful distance. There was just something about him that drew her in. A sort of subtle strength.

That didn't mean she wouldn't strangle him with her bare hands of course, it just meant she did have some admiration for the rather irritating blond menace.

To quote Leysritt, it was adorable to watch the blizzard and the inferno work together. You knew it was going to end badly for someone, but it was always a question of who would give in first.

So when she received the Command Seals, she could only feel relief. Finally, a break from that blasted blond!

* * *

><p>Edward felt something coming from the room Illyasviel went into three hours ago.<p>

Contrary to what Alphonse thought, he did not have a crush on the 'little blizzard'. He just had fun riling her up. It was like his arguments with Mustang...they were for fun.

Alphonse however had an open bet among the castle homunculi on how long it would take before the two realized that they liked each other. Or how long it would take Illyasviel to snap and try to kill his brother.

So far, the odds were more in favor of her trying to strangle him bare handed first.

Both brothers looked up when Illya came out of the room with a new companion.

This guy put Major Armstrong to shame. He had muscles on top of muscles on top of more muscles.

"Who or _what_ is that?" asked Edward with trepidation.

"My new Servant. Berserker, known as the Greek Hero Herakles," said Illyasviel smugly.

She had been ordered to summon Berserker, and she had delivered. She was the first one to summon too!

"Herakles? And here I thought we had a crappy dad," said Edward with a whistle.

Seeing Illyasviel's confusion (and somehow Ed could sense Herakles was surprised by the comment as well, despite being insane) he explained.

"He's the product of a serial rapist, and his step-mother was so pissed about his father's indiscretions that she took it out on the only people she could... his children. Herakles had the bad luck of being the son of Zeus and Hera decided to take it out on him, since she couldn't take it out on the real culprit," said Edward.

Illya blinked. She hadn't thought of it that way.

Edward had been entirely unimpressed with her lineage as well, stating that as long as Kiritsugu had been a decent father who loved her, he could care less if the man _was_ a heartless assassin. Sure he disagreed with some of Emiya's methods, but when he considered how far he had gone to save his brother and return his body, he could understand why.

He had a unique ability to empathize with the strangest people. So yes, he felt sorry for Herakles for having a crappy father and a vengeful step mother.

"Still... Why exactly do you call someone that intimidating your 'Servant'?"

"None of your business, you shrimp," said Illya in irritation.

Ed twitched, and it was only the mountain of muscle that kept him from reacting like he usually did. He might have gotten bigger (finally) but he still reacted to being called short.

"This coming from someone smaller than the shelves?" said Ed in return.

Illya growled. It was only because she didn't want to waste one of her Seals that kept her from sicking Herakles on him.

It wasn't her fault her growth had stopped when she was eleven!

Alphonse intervened before their usual shouting match could occur.

* * *

><p>Two months after Illya summoned Herakles, Ed found the weirdest marking on his flesh and blood hand. Markings that were formed from his blood.<p>

Illya was _furious_ when she saw them. She had kept Edward from discovering about the Grail War, not wanting him to join in out of curiosity, but now he would have to participate.

When told of what the Grail did, Ed showed no actual interest.

He had no use for a wish, as he sincerely doubted that it would work in his home world. And he had no desire whatsoever to get his ass kicked by Herakles. He was not an idiot.

Still, Jubstacheit was not about to let such a valuable opportunity pass him by. Two masters were better than one.

So he gave Edward the circle and the incantation and let the boy summon his own Servant. Without a catalyst, it would be purely pot luck what he got.

Edward was not comfortable with the idea of being Master to a legendary hero. In his opinion, heroes should be allowed to rest once their lives were over with. He liked the idea of this 'Grail' even less.

It sounded far too much like the Stone for his tastes.

Still, he wasn't about to run away from a challenge.

As the blood dripped freely from his left arm, he felt something connect to what he had always considered the source of his alchemy ability.

He had never had a name for it before coming here, but now he had a better understanding of alchemy. At least now he knew why he always felt so drained when he used the really difficult circles. And why the younger alchemists started, the better they were. Even Mustang had started when he was around thirteen.

There was a great deal of smoke, and even more of that weird energy in the air.

"As per the Grail's refuge, I have answered your summons. Are you my Master?"

"Um... I think so," said Ed. He still didn't like this whole 'Master-Servant' thing.

"I am Servant Rider."

"Call me Ed."

Once he was out of the room, he was able to get a good look at her. She was quite beautiful, for a woman. But he had spent years with females like his teacher, Winry, and Riza Hawkeye. He knew better than to let his eyes stray or to treat her like an object. Besides, he wasn't that interested in physical beauty.

She had long purple hair that reached to the floor, and a strange symbol on her forehead. Her eyes were covered by a blindfold, so he had no idea what they looked like. Her dress just barely covered her body, and revealed she had quite the figure. She had a restrained grace, and something about her screamed 'snake' for some reason. Even her voice had a lyrical hiss to it.

All-in-all, she was not what he expected of a Rider.

From the look she shot Herakles, he had little doubt that she knew of him. Which narrowed her legend down to Greece at least.

Illya was most certainly not pleased when she saw her.

Edward noticed Illya's behavior change after he summoned Rider. From what he could tell, she knew what it was like to have siblings and seemed to like the fact that Edward treated her with respect and not as something to ogle.

They also shared a love of books, which Rider dove into with great pleasure. She stuck mostly to the fantasy section though.

It took Edward two weeks to figure out who Rider was, and the first thing he did was ask her version of events.

His opinion of gods only went lower. Then he asked Herakles what his story was.

The more he heard, the less he liked the Greeks.

* * *

><p>If Ed had thought getting to Fuyuki would be simple, he failed to take in account modern-day paranoia and a few choice terrorist attacks on a democratic nation.<p>

Also, the devices that had given Ed such a massive headache hadn't been invented just yet.

The primary reason for him to take a week long cruise to Japan in a rather cheap room could be summed up in two simple words.

Metal. Detectors.

Illya, the evil brat, was cackling all the way to the plane with an invisible Herakles behind her...with Alphonse following her. Ed had glared at his brother like he had committed some cardinal sin against him, but Alphonse merely raised an eyebrow in response before looking pointedly at Illya and then back at Ed. It took a few seconds before Ed had an epiphany.

Damn hormones.

Though when he later confronted his brother about it, Alphonse would flippantly reply he was Illya's bodyguard, and he knew full well what Ed was like on boats. He was _not_ dealing with a seasick brother when Rider was perfectly capable of taking care of that headache.

It had amused Rider and Illya both...even if said chibi did become very angry when, during a stopover near Greece, Ed convinced Rider to at least pay her respects to her sisters and they accidentally found out that Stheno and Euryale were in fact still alive.

Ed had insured the captain wouldn't ask about them by giving him something else to worry about. Like why all the computers on board were fried. He didn't mess with the navigation, but when they couldn't back up his claims that the girls were already paid by looking it up on the computer they had no choice but to push on.

But Ed made a point to hide the sister's unique hair color before they left the ship. Fortunately they were getting off at the docks in Fuyuki, even if they had to take a smaller boat to do it.

* * *

><p>"So why are we going to this creepy as hell church again?" asked Ed.<p>

"Because we have to register with the one monitoring the Grail War and covering up after us and the weaker Magi," said Illya from Herakles' shoulder.

"And it doesn't bother you that this place has the same vibe as any area that the homunculi I used to deal with happened to be in? Besides, where exactly does it say that we have to show up in person?"

"It's considered polite," said Illya irritably.

"I just don't like that place. Feels worse than dealing with that ass Envy."

"Envy?"

"My homunculi half brother. Bastard could shape shift which made it a total pain in the ass finding him."

"He the reason why you dislike homunculi?" asked Illya tightly.

"Mostly. Lust was even worse. So why can't we just call them on the phone?"

Illya paused.

Why didn't they just call by phone? No one said they had to show up in person, and it wasn't like she didn't have the number.

"You win this round blondie," said Illya.

"We were arguing? I didn't notice," said Ed grinning like the Cheshire cat. Illya hissed at him.

Herakles and Rider immediately went to another room, as did Alphonse. It wasn't long before you could hear Illya shouting at the infuriating blond alchemist.

Alphonse chuckled.

"If those two _don't_ end up together by the time this war is over, I'll give up alchemy."

Rider snorted in agreement.

* * *

><p>Edward wandered around Fuyuki, until he found a face he had only ever seen on the dart board in the area Illya spent the most time in. It was Shirou, Illya's adopted younger brother from before her father died.<p>

From how vehemently she declared she was going to kill him for taking her father from her, Ed did _not_ envy him one bit. Still, he did want to see if this poor kid was deserving of the Illyasviel Flurry as it was called. Something only Ed had ever felt the full brunt of.

So Ed waited until the guy was alone before he introduced himself.

"_Hello!"_

Shirou looked really confused, and Ed realized his mistake.

"Sorry. Hello," said Ed in Japanese. Having multiple languages was a total pain in the ass.

(He had previously been speaking only German, but once he got the hang of English he made a point of learning more. So he knew about three other languages now.)

"Hello?" said Shirou.

"Are you Shirou Emiya?"

"Um, yes?"

"Good! Didn't want the wrong person targeted by the blizzard. I figure it was a better idea to meet you before she found you and sent her bodyguard after you because of who your dad was," said Ed cheerfully.

Shirou looked utterly confused.

"What are you talking about?"

"Kiritsugu Emiya, your dad right?"

Shirou nodded.

"He has a daughter, Illyasviel. She's pretty damn pissed because he never came back even though she knew he had survived the fight. And she's blaming you for keeping him away," explained Ed.

"I didn't even know he had a daughter," said Shirou.

"If I were you, I'd get into this fight and fast, before she sicks her bodyguard on you. That guy is huge," warned Ed.

Shirou seemed like a nice guy, so Ed felt somewhat sorry for him.

* * *

><p>"EDWARD ELRIC! GET BACK HERE!" shouted Illya.<p>

"NOT A CHANCE IN HELL, RUNT!" cackled Ed.

Alphonse sighed. Rider was next to him while Stheno and Euryale were learning how to cook from the castle homunculi.

"And this is proving that they don't like each other _how_?" he asked Rider.

Medusa snorted in agreement.

"I think Ed didn't want any competition for her, that would explain why he went to see Shirou," said Medusa.

"I DON'T LIKE THE CHIBI LIKE THAT!" shouted Ed, who had sharp hearing when he wanted to.

"Then why did you introduce yourself to Shirou, other than to make sure he didn't try to make any moves on Illya?" Alphonse shot back.

Ed growled and would have tackled his brother to start a fight, but Illya got to him first.

"Can we talk about this?"

"NO!"


End file.
